The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s borders by strengthening collaboration with the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) on intelligence sharing, trade facilitation, and national security.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced the initiative during a meeting with the Comptroller-General of NAQS, Vincent Isegbe, at the Customs headquarters in Abuja.
Adeniyi said the Customs Service is working to harmonise inspection procedures at ports and border stations nationwide to improve consistency, transparency, and efficiency in cargo clearance.
He also disclosed plans to establish a new Customs laboratory with technical support from NAQS and revealed that Customs training facilities would be made available to NAQS officers as part of efforts to strengthen capacity building.
According to him, effective border management extends beyond revenue generation and requires greater collaboration among security agencies to protect the country’s economy and national security.
During the visit, Isegbe congratulated Adeniyi on the extension of his tenure as Chairperson of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council, describing it as recognition of his leadership and commitment to the global customs community.
He also called for closer cooperation between both agencies through joint enforcement operations, intelligence sharing, integration of NAQS into the Customs B’Odogwu platform, and coordinated efforts to tackle fake certifications and other forms of trade-related fraud.
